Peaceful interlude
by Cindy Ryan
Summary: Tony and Michelle share a quiet meal


Title: Peaceful Interlude  
Author: Cindy Ryan  
Spoilers for anything after 9:00 pm  
Catagory: Tony/Michelle fluff  
Summary: Tony and Michelle have a quiet meal as chaos reigns around them.  
timeline: set sort of in an AU after the bomb goes off  
Tony Almedia fought the almost overwhelming urge to bang his head against the surface of his desk. Instead Tony began randomly opening drawers. He hadn't yet  
moved his stuff into the office so most of the stuff in the drawers was George's. And knowing the mood George had always been in during tense situations Tony knew there  
had to be a king sized bottle of aspirin somewhere.  
  
Tony had his head buried in the bottom left drawer of the desk when he heard a knock on the door. "Come."he acknowledged without looking up.  
  
"Tony?"Michelle Dessler called questionly as she stepped into the office. She heard her friend but didn't see him and considering how sparsely furnished the room was that was a feat.  
  
"Behind the desk."Almedia replied as he rose from his knees to a crouching position bottle of aspirin in hand.  
  
"Did you lose something?"Michelle asked as she knelt next to him.  
  
Tony smiled for the first time all day and showed her the bottle of aspirin. "Nope. Just found what I was looking for. I have a killer headache."  
  
Michelle stood and rested a hand on the corner of the desk. She tried not to think of the good man who used to be in this office. "Probably from lack of food. When was the last time you ate something more than coffee?"  
  
Tony stood than sat down in the desk chair. "I don't know....last year maybe?"  
  
Michelle offered him her right hand. "Come on."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"You promised me dinner, remember?"Michelle replied with a smile as she pulled Tony to his feet.  
  
Tony's face softened. "I haven't forgotten. It's just that right now we can't...."  
  
"Leave, I know. We won't leave the building I promise."  
  
Keenly aware of the watchful eyes in the bullpen below Tony let go of Michelle's hand but nodded. "Okay, let's go."  
  
********  
  
After taking different paths through the bullpen Tony and Michelle met up in a small hallway which held some unused offices. Michelle led Tony to one of the offices at the far end of the hall. She took out a keycard and unlocked the door.  
As they stepped into the small room Michelle flipped on the light and closed the door behind them.  
  
"Hope Chinese is okay."Michelle stated feeling a little awkward.  
  
Tony nodded as he looked at the desk which had been turned longways and made into a table with chairs at each end. There were five cartons of Chinese takeout sitting in the center of the desk along with bottles of water and two cans of soda.  
  
"Chinese is fine. Who'd you find to deliver at this time of night?"  
  
Michelle smiled as they sat down. "It's L.A. For the right amount of money people will deliver at any time."  
  
Tony didn't realize how hungry he was until the smell of the food began to work it's way toward his end of the desk.  
  
"Thank you for this."Tony said sincerely as he reached for one of the cartons and set it in front of him. "Didn't realize how hungry I was until now."  
  
"You're welcome."Michelle replied suddenly feeling shy. Had this been a good idea?  
  
"You okay?"Tony asked with concern a few minutes later when he noticed she wasn't eating.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine."Michelle lied as she continued to push the rice around with her fork.  
  
"Hey."Tony called forcing her to meet his gaze. "Eat something, please. We lost a lot of good people today I don't want to add you to that list."  
  
Michelle saw the real concern in his eyes and another emotion she couldn't quite read. She nodded and smiled as she reached a hand toward the cartons at his end of the desk. "Hand me the sweet and sour chicken please."  
  
Tony found the right carton and handed it to her. As he did their hands touched briefly and he met her gaze. After the day they'd had all he wanted to do right then was draw her into his arms and just hold her. But with protocol being what it was he couldn't. Tony broke eye contact and dropped his hand back to the desk.  
  
The conversation turned to ordinary things. Where they grew up, favorite childhood memory. Last movie seen, last book read.  
  
"When was the last time you took a vacation?"Michelle asked as she stood and began clearing away the empty cartons into a nearby garbage can.  
  
Tony grinned as he leaned back in the chair. "Probably before I joined CTU. Week in Spain. You?"  
  
Michelle shook her head as she put the garbage can back in it's spot and returned to the desk. "Nothing as   
glamorous.....was before CTU.....some friends from college we met up in Seattle."  
  
Tony stood and walked toward her proper protocol between co-workers was the last thing he cared about. It'd been a day from hell. He needed to feel close to somebody.  
  
"Promise me that when this is all over you'll take a vacation."Michelle began as Tony stopped a few inches from her. Close enough for her to smell his cologne. "I don't want to see you turning into an over zealous workaholic."  
  
Almedia reached out and took her right hand in his drawing her toward him. "I promise, I won't let Chappelle run me into the ground."  
  
Michelle smiled. "I'm serious."  
  
Tony reached out and gently touched her face. "I know. I've said it before but I mean it. When this horrendous day is over you and I are going on a real date. Candlelight and everything."  
  
Michelle shook her head. "It's a nice dream.....but we can't......you took over George's job.....there are  
rules."  
  
"Screw the rules."Tony replied feverantly. "There's something between us that deserves a chance. I'm willing to try if you are."  
  
Michelle felt tears come to her eyes. She wanted to believe him. But she had watched her brother destroy his marriage......her last boyfriend had left her for a Hooter's waitress.  
  
"Do you really think we can make this work?"Michelle asked as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "After Chappelle finds out......after things return to normal?"  
  
"If it's one thing we've learned from today, Michelle, it's that life is far too short."There isn't a relationship  
out there that doesn't have problems. I'm not saying ours will be a walk in the park. But what we have is worth the risk."  
  
Michelle nodded. "If you're willing, I am."  
  
Tony smiled and gently wiped away her tears with his thumbs as he leaned forward to kiss her. "I promise, we'll find a way to make this work."  
  
Michelle melted into his strong arms she felt his lips capture hers.  
  
The kiss seemed to last forever. Michelle wrapped her arms around his waist as Tony deepened the kiss.  
  
The mood was shattered when the electronic beeping of Tony's pager ricocheted around the room causing them to break apart.  
  
"Damn, I was hoping they'd leave me alone for an hour at least."Tony grumbled as he pulled the pager off his belt and checked the number.  
  
Michelle took a spare napkin off the table and gently wiped her lipstick off his lips as she said. "The real world never stays away for as long as we'd like it to. I'll leave first and take the long way back to the bullpen."  
  
They walked toward the door and Tony gently kissed her on the forehead. "It won't be like this forever."  
  
Michelle squeezed his hand as she opened the door and left the office.  
  
Tony waited a few moments before he put the desk back in the proper position and shut the lights off. He opened the door and headed back to the bullpen.  
end 


End file.
